Author's note: Hello my friends! Here is a longer chapter for your pleasure. Thanks to my dear Beta, Bebec, for pointing out to me a few things I should change or improve before releasing it. I reserve you all a big surprise at the end of this one. I hope you'll appreciate :) And now, enjoy the read!


Chapter 6

Spirit Walk

Against all expectations, Doom behaved himself impeccably during his bath, even though he looked like he was being tortured the whole time. Trixie giggled all along at watching the poor beast suffer. Seeing her daughter laugh like that had warmed Chloe's heart and reassured her in her beliefs that her little girl would be alright in spite of all the horrors she had witnessed. Linda was right, kids really were resilient.

As much as Doomy had hated getting soaked up and soaped, the drying part looked like a blissful experience to him. Eyes half closed and purring like a kitten, he'd become spineless as the dryer sent hot air through his tick fur.

A little before they started washing Doomy, Dan had received a phone call from the Lieutenant in person who assigned him to join another team of detectives to work on the Twilight Club Massacre, as it was already being called by the media. It was probably dangerous for any of them to be going around the city without a celestial protector, but life had to go on and anyways, Dan could always call Amenadiel and Michael if he got into trouble with demons. He could hardly stay locked up in the apartment for any amount of time.

Chloe had felt a pang of deception at not getting that assignment, but she was the one who especially requested a leave of absence for the whole week only mere hours before the events took place. And anyways, Chloe had to admit that her present state of mind wouldn't make of her the best detective to work the case. At least, there was one of them on this assignment, one of the few people who knew what really happened in that club.

Monroe had been reluctant to give her that long time off, especially since the Lieutenant just got promoted and was about to leave her post in only a few days. What made her give up was hearing that Chloe needed that time off to take care of Lucifer's business while he was away. Of what the detective could make up, Monroe somehow seemed to feel indebted to Lucifer. She wouldn't say it outright, but Chloe suspected that Lucifer had steered up that promotion of hers.

Whatever the story was, Chloe was glad for the outcome. This way, she would be able to focus on getting everything in order with Lucifer's estates, especially with Lux, and to move into Lucifer's penthouse during the week. They had made plans to start living together and there was nothing that would keep her from setting it into motion. Her week off would also allow to keep Trixie with her. If her daughter's emotions were even only half as much in turmoil as her owns, then she should not be ready to face school for a while.

Therefore, there was no rush for them to get back to sleep even if their night had been interrupted in the middle. Chloe was used to not getting much sleep with her line of work, and Trixie could always get a nap during the afternoon if she needed one. The two of them had passed the rest of the night playing some games over the couch until it was time to wake Maze up to go meet Lucifer's lawyer. Michael stayed up all night too, silently keeping watch over them all.

The smell of good coffee greeted Maze when she woke up and went downstairs to the kitchen, still all groggy with sleep. She was also welcomed by a cheerful Trixie who was watching some cartoons. Doom walked to her with a little spring in his steps and his head held high, obviously very proud of his new clean and fluffy fur. He unashamedly rubbed against her like a cat.

Maze ran her hands through the tick mane to inspect it and assess Doom's injuries. New wounds were visible over his body, yet nothing too nasty, and the worse ones from the abbey's fight were well on their way to heal. An unusual whiff reached her nostrils, making her bent down a little to sniff at the hound.

"What's that new smell you've got?" She inquired, wriggling her nose in disgust.

Trixie joined them and answered proudly. "Strawberries! I washed him myself with my shampoo. Well, mom helped a little. I had to give him a triple wash to get rid of all the blood and the bad smell." She made a grimace at the memory.

"Are you kidding me?" Maze burst with indignation on Doom's behalf. "You washed a Hellhound with strawberry shampoo? You really have no respect whatsoever!"

Trixie ran back to the living room, giggling. Doom followed her hurriedly and jumped on the couch beside her where he settled with his head in her lap. Looking at them, Maze shook her head dejectedly. That kid would make of the infernal beast nothing less than a pathetic domestic dog in a record time!

Turning her focus back on looking for strong caffeine, the demon noticed that someone had already made coffee. It lifted Maze's spirit a little. It had to be Chloe's work, since there wasn't much chance that Michael knew how to use a coffee machine. Chloe finally joined her after her shower, sipping at what turned out to be her third cup of the black beverage.

Soon, they were ready to leave and go meet Lucifer's lawyer. Determinate to not lose sight of Chloe, Michael tagged along, minus the sword at least. They woke Amenadiel up at the last minute so he could protect Trixie along with Doom while they would be away.

Once at the law firm, Michael stayed in the waiting room while Maze and Chloe met with M. Pearson. The man looked a bit ill at ease at first, eying them strangely as if analysing them. It crossed Chloe's mind that he could know about Lucifer's real identity and that he might be wondering if they were even human. Now that she thought about it, it would be exactly like something Lucifer would do to insure the lawyer's loyalty.

M. Pearson seemed to relax slowly, maybe after seeing that they were not going to sprout out horns. After recovering his countenance, he exposed Lucifer's will then it took most part of the morning just to sign all the paperwork.

To Chloe's utter relief, Lucifer's name was still present on every pieces of paper she signed. He was only sharing his estate with her, not abandoning it. It made all the difference in the world to Chloe; he was planning to come back some day! That knowledge was the only thing that allowed her to keep herself together that morning.

She had thought herself ready to share Lucifer's fortune. After all, it couldn't represent that much money. Right? She quickly discovered that she couldn't be farther from the truth; the extent of his belongings was unthinkable! He had properties as well as money invested in every corner of the world, along with numerous bank accounts with more money in each of them than she could count. It was literally head spinning!

Maze had been reluctant yet curious to discover what she was doing there. As she said, she didn't need anything from Lucifer. She was doing just fine by herself. They learned that he was leaving his demon enough money to live a few lifetimes, at the condition that she would protect Chloe and Beatrice and help take care of Lux in a 50% partnership with the detective. Maze argued that she didn't need the promise of money to keep protecting them and that Lucifer had to be aware of that. In the end, it took all of Chloe's persuasion skills to convince her to accept Lucifer's gift, but she did. To Chloe's greatest relief and joy, Maze also accepted her idea of going back to live in her old flat below the penthouse, as Lucifer and she had already been planning to offer her. That way, it would be easier for the demon to protect Trixie and herself, and Chloe had to admit that she liked having her friend close by.

After every details had been dealt with, her wallet now filled with a new set of bank and credit cards, the lawyer presented Chloe with a last envelop. Her heart stopped the moment she saw what was written on the top.

A single name.

Chloe

Written in Lucifer's cursive script.

After a few false starts, her heart seemed to resume beating, if somehow erratically. She reverently took the envelope with trembling hands. According to M. Pearson, it was a letter that Lucifer had written for her only a week ago. Her eyes rapidly filled up with moisture. Even if she was dying to open it right now, she refrained herself, knowing that she'd prefer some intimacy to do so.

On the ride back home, they caught a news report on the radio assessing of a death count reaching eight people so far at the Twilight Club, and of numerous wounded among which some being still in critical condition.

Maze cringed at the news and didn't lose her sneer even when Chloe reminded her that it could have been a lot worse if she hadn't intervene and taken that demon out. For better or for worse, her demonic friend had apparently gone a great length towards caring about human beings.

There was also vague mentions of a few strange deaths having occurred during the night in different parts of LA, though it wasn't confirmed that they were all from murderous acts. Chloe was hoping to get more details on those cases from Dan once he finished his day at work.

Maze echoed her thoughts. "Let's hope the Douche will be able to sort through those deaths and point us in the right direction. I indent to catch a few more demons tonight."

Chloe nodded her agreement. Then she noticed that Maze was fidgeting a little in the passenger's seat, as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how.

"What is it Maze?" She asked simply.

Maze was reluctant to talk about that in front of Michael, who was sitting right behind them, but she supposed it was a fact with which she would have to get used to. "Humm... It's those wings... I didn't ask for them and would by far prefer to ignore their presence, yet I have to admit that they could be useful, if only I could master the bloody things." She grimaced in annoyance. "Amenadiel accepted to train me to fight with them, but for that we'll need an adequate place. I was thinking of converting one of the upper levels at LUX into a big gym. Only if you're ok with it, mind you," she added quickly.

"Of course! It shouldn't be difficult. And as I have just discovered, money won't be a problem in the future, so there's no reason why we couldn't."

The thought of having a gym close at hand made Chloe think back on an idea that had been nagging at her since her daughter's abduction. It seemed like a good time to approach the subject with Maze.

"Humm... I was thinking... If Trixie is willing, would you accept to train her? I mean by that a real training, at least three times a week, to learn how to handle herself in a fight, and maybe even use simple weapons."

"Jeee! Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" Joked the demon.

Chloe sneered. "I know I've always been reluctant to let you train her, and that I fought you every step of the way. But you were right to do so, and I'm very sorry I couldn't see it before, but I do now. Aside from the skills you helped her develop, I am absolutely certain that the self-confidence that your training gave her helped my daughter get through that whole ordeal alive. I can't tell you how thankful I am that you took upon yourself to teach her. And now, with the threat being all the more present in our lives, Trixie will need that training even more. Having bonded myself to Lucifer has not only brought good things into our lives, and we'll probably always be in danger because of that. I am very conscious of that fact, but I took that decision knowingly, and I don't regret it. So now, besides trying to protect her, all I can do is make sure that Trixie can take care of herself if she is placed into another life-threatening situation. And chances are that she will someday. So, would you do this for her, for me?"

Maze was taking Trixie's safety much at heart, and to her, investing herself in training someone was a very serious commitment. So it was with great seriousness that she gave her answer to her friend.

"I will train her. Rest assured, Decker, that when I'm done with her, there's nothing she won't be able to handle."

Chloe gave her a small smile. She was still reluctant to impose that on her daughter. Who knew how that training could change the little girl that Trixie was? But there was no going around it now, and she knew it.

"Thanks Maze! It means a lot to me, knowing that she'll be safer."

"Don't mention it, Decker!"

The rest of the drive home seemed to take an eternity. Chloe kept fingering Lucifer's letter all the way there, restless to discover his words. As soon as they got back at the apartment, she locked herself up into the bathroom and opened it. She hadn't even start reading that her eyes were already filling up with burning tears.

My dear Love,

Things must have turned out pretty badly if you are reading those words. Whatever happened, know that I will fight my way through Heaven or Hell to get back to you. If it can be done, I will find a way.

I love you, more than words can say. I was dreaming to share a lifetime with you, and maybe we will, someday, but in the meantime I cannot ask of you to wait for me eternally. So in the eventuality that I would be kept away from you for longer than you can bear, I would understand if you decided to go on with your life. Yet, it will never stop me from doing everything in my power to be with you again.

Forever yours,

Lucifer

PS: I hope you'll enjoy yourself with the money and spoil the spawn. Spend without counting. As you saw, there's plenty of it.

By the end of the letter, she was downright sobbing in angst. How could he think that she'd prefer forgetting about him than wait for his return? Did he not know already that she'd prefer to live a few lifetimes alone than be with someone else? Knowing that he thought she would replace him was breaking her heart. She couldn't let him think that for one more instant.

Chloe closed her eyes and tried to reach the right state of mind to send him her message. As she'd learned, praying was not like an open phone call in which you could say everything you wanted. You had to concentrate very hard and stay focus all along to make sure that everything went through. Even though, one could only send a few words or a sentence or two at most, with enough motivation. And as motivation went, she couldn't have more of it! She sent her prayer with fervor, overcome with both pain and restrained anger.

«Lucifer! You dumb ass! You, are the love of my existence, and I will wait for you forever if I have to!»

She clasped her hands over her mouth to muffle her sobbing. Would her prayer even reach him through the closed Hellmouth? Not knowing for sure was killing her. Then a thought crossed her mind. He had written that letter a week ago. A lot happened since then, among that the night during which they took a vow to share their lives together. So even if he couldn't hear her prayer, he had to already know that she would be his forever.

Her reasoning calmed her a little. She had to trust in them, in what they had become to each other in so short a time. After all, she trusted him completely, trusted that he would indeed never weaver in his determination to come back to her. He should know that she'd do the same for him. But Lucifer was Lucifer, and eons of rejection had twisted his judgement about his worth, so maybe it was still difficult for him to fathom that she loved him as much as he loved her.

She would continue to pray to him to impress the strength of her love, then when he came back, she would show him everything he meant to her.

It strengthened her resolves to move into the penthouse as soon as possible. She would make sure to be waiting for him there when he came back. She would show him that her beliefs in them was unshakable.

It took her a long moment to regain control over herself and be ready to get out of the bathroom. As soon as she did though, she retrieved a document that Lucifer had left her, on which there was a list of names and coordinates of people who worked for him or that he often hired for all kinds of works, and another one of those who owed him. She found what she needed in the first list. The man was recorded as someone who could make anything happen in a record time, whatever the need was.

She made sure to mention that she was Lucifer's partner when she made the call. Her demand didn't seem to be that much extravagant to him. Jim, he wanted her to call him. So Jim assured her that he would call back in less than 30 minutes with everything arranged to move her belongings today.

Chloe ended the call with a sigh. There she was, about to leave her old life behind and get into a new one. Yet, it felt as if she had already been leaving this new life for the last two weeks. Her home was Lucifer now, and the penthouse felt like the closest she would get to him. For now.

With a smile, she went into Trixie's room to tell her the news. She caught her daughter playing dolls with Doomy, both sprawled out in bed. Chloe stopped herself from saying anything about such a flagrant disregard to the rules she'd put into place about dogs and beds. She had something much more important to deal with at the moment. Besides, it wasn't as if Doom was sleeping there.

Chloe walked to them and sat beside her daughter. Doom was intend on listening to Trixie's scenario in which Miss Alien was taking down a few demons all by herself. The mother in her cringed inwardly at the story her daughter was creating, but it could probably not be helped. Linda would certainly say that it was part of Trixie's way of dealing with everything that happened to her. Beatrice interrupted her playing to look up at her with interest.

"How did things go with Lucifer's lawyer, Mommy?"

"Humm... Good! It was actually a lot of paperwork. And heuuu... turns out that Lucifer left me Lux to manage, along with pretty much all of his stuff."

Her daughter brightened. "We have a Night Club?" At her mother's nod she continued. "That's so cool! My friends are gonna get livid when they learn that!" But then she darkened all of a sudden. "But, Lucifer's going to come back? Right?"

"Yes! Yes of course Sweetie! It's just a matter of time before he's back, then we will all be together again. And, what's even better is that we're going to live together in Lucifer's penthouse. Would you like that?"

Chloe bit her bottom lip nervously. She had not consulted with her daughter before taking that decision, instead presenting her with a fait accompli. It could back fire in her face at any moment.

Trixie's eye grew wide in excitement. "Really? Are you getting married?"

She should have seen that one coming. "Humm... Not exactly, since Lucifer doesn't believe in marriage, but in a way, you could say that we already consider ourselves married."

Trixie's jaw dropped in shock, then she threw herself in her mother's arms. "This is the best news EVER!"

Deeply relieved, Chloe chuckled as she hugged her daughter back.

"I know this will seem fast to you, Monkey, but what would you say if we moved in the penthouse today so we could wait there for Lucifer?"

Her daughter raised her head to look up at her with a huge smile. "That would be awesome!" Then she asked with a frown. "What about Dad?"

Chloe startled at her question, just realising that her Monkey may have been hoping for them to get back together someday. "What about him, Monkey?" She asked in a neutral voice.

"Where will he stay if we leave? He doesn't have anywhere to go now that his apartment burned." The concern in her little voice was heart-warming.

Her words eased Chloe's worries though. It wasn't what she'd feared. "Oh! Don't worry about that, Monkey. I was actually thinking of letting Daddy this apartment. That way, it would still remain your place. How does that sound?"

Trixie beamed at her. "Just perfect!"

As promised, Jim arranged everything in less time than it took Chloe to announce her sudden decision to Maze and the others and make some preparations. Her demonic friend decided to take this opportunity to also move her things at the same time. Amenadiel looked dumfounded by the turn of events, yet didn't say anything. Understanding that Maze wasn't about to invite him to move in with her, Chloe took a mental note to suggest to Dan of taking him as his roommate. Not only would it help him pay the rents, but it would also give Dan some needed protection.

It was decided that Michael would take Azrael to the penthouse where he would continue looking over her as well as over the Decker girls. He left with his still unconscious sister before the team of eight people that Jim hired debarked and started packing and moving their stuff. All in all, it didn't take that much time to move since the penthouse was already fully furnished. Chloe left to Dan most of her furniture, at least the one that was still in one piece. The team was so efficient that all their belongings were already unpacked by late-afternoon.


Trixie soon found herself alone with Doom, both snuggling in her new bed while her mom was arranging her wardrobe in Lucifer's room. Well, it was her mom's and Lucifer's bedroom now, wasn't it? It felt so strange to think of that place as theirs now. She guessed it would take her some getting used to. Her own room didn't look much like a kid's at the moment, but her mom had promised to have it decorated to her taste in the next few days. That would certainly help her feel more at home.

She wondered how it would be like to be living with Lucifer once he came back. It was without a doubt promising to be an entertaining experience. She smiled in anticipation even though she was feeling terribly sad to know that he was currently in Hell doing God only knew what or for how long.

She closed her eyes, tiredness slowly enveloping her as she was spooned up around Doom. The hound' steady breathing was gently rocking her, helping calm her body and mind. Moving into the penthouse had distracted her from the dark memories of her kidnaping, but it was always there, lurking in the back of her mind, and ready to come forth to make her fall into a deep pit of dread and helplessness. All she wanted was to continue keeping those memories at bay and maybe take a nap, provided that she wouldn't have nightmares about it again like last night. She grimaced at the prospect. She felt exhausted, but maybe it would be better not to sleep, just to be safe, and instead only close her eyes a moment to relax and regain some strength.

The nightmarish image of the snarling demon whose throat she'd slit in that horrible basement popped once more into her mind, and she tensed, gripping more tightly at Doomy's fur. Again, she was starting to feel as if drowning under the flood of disturbing feelings assailing her. Would those feelings ever get away? In that instant, she doubted it very much. It was just too much to handle by herself. She suddenly recalled something Doctor Linda had taught her during their session last week, following Vasariah's attack against her dad and herself. It was supposed to be a trick to relax and empty her mind. Trixie thought it would be a great time to try it.

Eyes still closed, Trixie took a few deep and long breathes and focussed to try and imagine a blue sphere of light hovering above her head. When she could picture it almost perfectly in her mind, the diffusing glow started doing its calming effect. Tension slowly left her face, then her mind, and the bad memories were soon pushed away. Encouraged, by her small victory, the little girl moved the blue light down over her torso as the doctor had thought her. She could already feel her heartbeat slowing down under the soothing effect of the imaginary glow. She made the light pursue gradually its course over her entire body, letting it linger over the stiffest parts of her anatomy until the only thing that was left was a deep feeling of relaxation.

She felt as light as a feather. It was a wonderful sensation. Her state of wellbeing was so complete that at some point it almost felt like she was floating on a cloud.

Wait! She WAS, actually floating!

There she was, looking down at herself from above. The first thought that crossed her mind when seeing her own body laying below, was that she was dead for good, and that Lucifer wouldn't be there to save her this time. But then, she noticed her small chest raising with each inspiration that her body was taking. She didn't look dead at all, maybe just asleep? Somehow she doubted having fallen asleep. It didn't feel at all like a dream.

When she recovered from her first shock of doing... well, whatever she was doing, she took a real look at her new self. She was hovering in the air without any actual body. It looked more like a shimmer of herself. At that moment, Doom lifted his head and looked up strait at her in confusion. Was he really seeing her? It sure seemed so. That was so strange!

Whatever was happening, she still felt relax and at peace, so maybe she was not in any danger.

She left her room and went into the living room, followed by a curious Doomy. There, she saw Michael napping on the couch, eyes closed. The blond angel was nice. She liked him enough, and her mother seemed to trust him. Still, there was a lingering tension between those two that she didn't quite understand. She wondered if he would be staying with them until Lucifer came back. She wasn't sure she'd be happy with that.

She continued floating towards the main bedroom in search of her mother. She found her sitting on the king size bed, bent over a letter, sobbing silently... Trixie approached a little more, ready to comfort her, when Doom beat her to it and gently put his big head into her mom's lap.

"Hey Doomy!" Chloe greeted the hound between two sobs and caressed his neck. "You're such a good boy."

Trixie saw her mom hug the big beast for comfort. She tried to put her hand on Chloe's shoulder to ease her pain, but her hand just went through without touching anything. While Doom lifted his eyes to her, her mother however didn't seem to be aware of her presence.

It broke Trixie's little heart to see her mother in so much pain and not be able to do anything about it. She also missed Lucifer deeply, but she guessed it had to be even worse for her mom since she was in love with him. And what about Lucifer? She couldn't begging to fathom how hard it could be for him to be forced to stay in Hell away from his lover. She knew how much he loved her.

Trixie tried to imagine Lucifer down there, doing Devil's stuff. The thing was, she hadn't the slightest idea about what was happening with him at the moment. Her mom didn't seem to know either, nor did anyone actually. Trixie would give anything to know for sure that he was doing ok. The image of a smiling Lucifer appeared in her mind, and then something very weird happened...

Everything blurred away around her. Then she felt herself being drawn by an unknown force. The colors of her surroundings moved as if she was taking speed and the pressure she felt in her being confirmed that she was indeed moving at an incredible velocity. The experience was a little scary yet very exhilarating.

Images came back into focus after what felt like a long moment. The first thing she became aware of was the strange sky above her. It was dark, with red and orange glows illuminating it here and there. She couldn't see the sun, nor the moon, nor even any stars. All there was, were dark clouds that seemed to be coming from a glowing red mountain not so far away. No, not a mountain, a volcano! The tick smell of sulfur in the air made some senses she guessed. Though, the clamors around her didn't make any sense at all.

Trixie lowered her eyes to take a good look at her immediate surroundings...

... and froze in shock and dread.

She was hovering a few feet above ground, in the middle of an immense sterile plain. Right there in front of her, almost at arm's length, was standing a huge army of demons and creatures of nightmare all waiting in orderly rows. They were growling and screaming war cries while hitting their weapons against their shields. Beatings of war drums echoed in the background, enhancing the feeling of an impending battle. A quick look behind her revealed another vast army of demons seemingly only waiting to be unleashed upon their enemy.

Beatrice was certain it was a sight no human being had ever seen before. It literally paralyzed her with fear.

Through the fogs of her terror, she slowly became aware of a warrior standing sideways in front of her and who looked disturbingly human among an otherwise endless sea of demonic beings. Her eyes were unconsciously drawn to him. There was something grand about him, something kingly. He was wearing richly decorated dark clothes made of leather and covered with pieces of mail or plates over his arms and torso. A tick white animal hide was wrapped around his shoulders, completing this outfit worthy of a king of old times. The way he was holding himself straight and proud with his shining sword in hand also suggested that he was the leader of that army.

He sported a few weeks old dark beard and his black hair was tied back into a short tail. She could only see the right side of his skull which was all shaved and tattooed with strange black symbols, but she guessed that his other side looked the same. Inexplicably, there was something familiar about him.

The cat-like demon towards whom the king was turned to suddenly became aware of her. He first narrowed his yellow eyes as if analysing her, then visibly cringed. She heard him over the clamors of the army as he quickly warned his king of her presence.

"My Lord! A nasty human spawn!"

The closest demons around reacted at his words and stared at her with what could only be described as nervousness.

Everything in Beatrice screamed for her to escape this dangerous place in a hurry and yet, something was holding her into place. Her gaze was brought back to the king who was now fully turned about and staring straight at her in shock. Her own shock was quickly replaced by an overwhelming happiness.

Before the king could find his voice, Beatrice cried over the tumult.

"LUCIFER! Please, come back to us!"

Lucifer gaped and was about to say something when the feline-looking demon sprang up and attacked her. Claws sank into her left wrist as the demon tried to catch and drag her down.

She heard Lucifer's anguished scream resounding at the same time. "Nooooo! Stooop!"

One instant she was in the grip of a nasty demon and the next he was releasing his grasp around her wrist. Trixie finally listened to her survival instincts and fled the scene without waiting any longer, rushing back towards what she hoped was home. In her mind, she tried to picture her small body lying in bed, hoping to be able to find it back. The uncertainty of it terrified her.

After what seemed like way too much time, Beatrice felt herself dive inside her waiting body. At last, she opened her real eyes and filled her lungs with a long and deep breathe. When she released it, she let escape a heart wrenching scream.

"Mommyyyyyyyyyy!


Author's note: Hey! Hey! Do you like that new crazy idea of mine about Trixie's abilities? She is a special little girls after all. Thanks for reading, and commenting.